The tax package was in danger of losing the Republicans support needed to ensure the two-thirds majority required following Democratic rejection of a sunset on the major tax hikes in SB429.
Both Senators Warren Hardy and Bill Raggio cautioned that, without a sunset, they could not support the bill designed to balance the budget with $780 million in new revenue.
Raggio's proposed amendment imposing a sunset failed on a 12-9 party line vote.
But that vote was followed by Sen. John Lee's proposed compromise amendment which would condition the sunset on the Modified Business Tax, business license fee and sales tax on a determination by the Economic Forum that there would be enough money in the General Fund to allow those taxes to go away.
That amendment was approved with several Republicans joining the majority.
But Raggio, who has been relentlessly talking about sunsets to any tax hikes since last fall, appeared committed to stand his ground and kill the tax package without a hard sunset on the sales and business taxes.
With less than two hours to the 5 p.m. deadline, lawmakers finally disappeared into closed meetings to find a compromise.